Knitting-machine.



E. H. WALKER. I

KNITTING MACHINE,

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17, 1913.

jflflfi fiwg V Patented Feb.10,1914.

v 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

E. H. WALKER.

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.17, 1913 hwgfifiyfl Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

2a Iii/ 51168865,- [melaton- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EVERETT H. WALKER, OF LOWELL, MASSAGHUSETTSJASSIGNOR TO LAWRENCEMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTSfA CORPORATION OFMASSACHUSETTS.

KNITTING-MABHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 17, 1913.

Patented Feb. 10, 1914. Serial No. 748,978.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, E ERETT l-I. WALKER, acitizen of the United States, residing at Lowell, in the county ofMiddlesex .and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Knitting-Machines; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same. 5 The'invention relates tocircular knittingmachines such as are used in the manufacture of seamless hosiery, andmore particularly to mechanism for introducing a splicing yarn atcertain parts of the knit fabric. Circular knitting machines of the typeto which the invention relates have heretofore been provided withdevices for. inserting'and withdrawing a splicing yarn during theknitting of each course at certain points in the manufacture ofastocking, usually at the back of the leg directly above the heel andacross the sole of the foot. With the usual construction of splicingmechanism the floating yarn which extends from the point where thesplicing yarn is withdrawn from the needles to the point on the otherside of the fabric where it is reinserted,remains attached to thefabric', and must be cut and removed by hand after the knitting of thestocking has been completed. The trimming off of the floating yarnrequires skill and care on the part of the operator, and frequentlyresults in injury to the stocking.

It is the objectof the present invention to provide a novel and improvedconstruction of splicing mechanism by which the floating yarns will beautomatically severed at a proper and uniform distance from each side ofthe knit fabric during the knitting of the fabric. To this end theinvention comprises the features of construction and combinationof partshereinafter described and referred to in the claims.

The invention is intended primarily as an improvement in the machineshown and described in the patents to Hemphill, N0.

933,444, September 7, 1909,.and No. 935,981, October 5, 1909, and knownas the Banner machine, although it is not confined in its application tothis machine, or to machines in which the relative movement between theneedles and knitting cams is secured by rotary and reciprocatorymovements of the needle cylinder. (a

ner machine as is necessary to show the applica tion of the presentinvention thereto; Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the position of theparts just after the splicing yarn has been inserted, and before thefloating yarn has been severed; Fig. 3 is a plan view showing theposition of the parts during the knitting of those portions of thestocking in. which the splicing yarn is not intro-' ,duced; Fig. 4 is adetail elevation partly in section looking toward the inner ends .of theyarn guides in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is adetail of the cutter which severs thefloating yarn near the point where it is withdrawn from the needles;Fig. 6 is a detail of the cutter which severe the floating yarn near thepoint where it is introduced to the needles; and Fig. 7 is a detailshowing the collector yarn about which the severed yarns collect duringthe operation of the splicing mechanism.

As shown in the drawings, the needles 1 are carried in the needlecylinder 2, and are operated during rotary knitting by knitting camswhich form the knittin'gwave 3 which travels about the circular seriesof needles.

- The upper end of the needle cylindercarries a sinker ring 4 in whichthe web holding sinkers 5 are mounted, the sinkers being operated bycams on a sinker cam ring 6, as

fully described in the patents above referred to. In the machineillustrated, the needle cylinder is rotated during the knitting of theleg and foot of the stocking, and is oscillated during the knitting ofthe heel and toe through the motion changing mechanism and clutchindicated at 7.

' The yarns which are knit intothe stocking are fedto' the needlesthrough a series.

of yarn guides pivotally mounted upon the latch ring support 8.Provision is made for supporting four yarn guides on the pivot 9,butonly three guides are shown supported upon the pivot in the drawings,and one of these guides is inactive. As shown, the ma n yarn \V is fedto the needles dur ng the knitting of the entire stocking through theguide formed at the end of the yarn guide lever 10. The splicing yarn Sis fed to the needles through the yarn guide formed in the end of theyarn guide lever 11. During the knitting of those portions of thestocking in which the splicing yarn is not fed to the needles, the yarnguide 11 is raised into the inactive position indicated in Fig. 1, andthe end of the splicing yarn is held between a clamp 12 and the uppersurface of a segmental plate 13 which is supported within the needles.The yarn guides are acted upon by springs 14 which tend to move the yarnguides down into position to feed the yarns to the needles. The yarnguides are raised or lowered to render them inactive or active throughlevers 15 operated from cams on the cam shaft of the machine throughlinks 1.6,as fully shown and described in the patents above referred to.The lever 15 which operates the guide 11 for the splicing yarn is alsoconnected by a link 17 with one arm of a lever 18, the other arm ofwhich is ar ranged to be engaged and operated by a cam 19 on the clutchsleeve 7 when the clutch is 'in position for rotary knitting. When theyarn guide is held in raised or inactive position by the cam on the camshaft of the machine, as indicated in Fig. 1, the arm of the lever 18 isheld in. retracted position so that the cam 19 passes idly in front ofthe lever. Vhen the cam on the cam shaft releases the yarn guide, thusrendering the yarn guide active, the cam 19 acts to raise and lower theyarn guide at predetermined points during each rotation of the needlecylinder, so that the splicing yarn is inserted and withdrawn atpredetermined points in the knitting of each course.

. The means for severing the floating yarn which extends from the pointwherethe splicing yarn is withdrawn from the needles to the point whereit is again inserted and fed to the needles comprises two cutter blades20 and 21 arranged to sever the yarn near its points of attachment atopposite sides of the knit fabric. The blade 20 is secured to a ring 22'which is in turn secured to the under side of the plate 13. The knife isprovided with an inclined cutting edge 23 against which the yarn iscarried by the rotation of the needle cylinder. In order that the yarnmay be held taut as it is carried against the edge of the knife 20, aclamp 2a is arranged to engage the yarn and clamp it against the uppersurfaceof the plate 13. The yarn leading from the yarn guide 11 to thepoint where the yarn is withdrawn from 'the needles is guided under theclamp 24 by a curved guiding finger 25 projecting from the clamp, andthe yarn is retained in position under the clamp by a finger 26projecting from the lower edge of the clamp into a hole formed in theplate 13, as indicated in Fig. 4. The

clamp 24: is in the form of a vertical armsecured to a lever 27 which isloosely mounted on the pivotal shaft 28 of the clamp 12,

and is forced in a direction to engage the clamp with the plate 13 by aspring 29. The lever 27 is provided with a lateral projection 30arranged to be engaged by the guide lever 11 when the guide .is raisedinto position to withdraw the splicing yarn. When the guide is raised,therefore, to withdraw the splicing yarn, it acts to lift the clamp 24and release the floating yarnfwhich has been severed from the fabric.When the yarn guide is lowered to insert the splicing yarn it releasesthe clamp actuating lever so that the clamp is forced down into positionto clamp the floating yarn and hold it taut as it is carried against thecutting knife. The cutting knife 21 is secured to the edge of the plate13, and is provided with a vertical edge 31 projecting above the uppersurface of the plate. a The knife 20 is arranged to engage and sever theyarn immediately after the yarn guide has been lowered to insert thesplicing yarn, and to bring the clamp 2 1 into engagement with the yarn.The knife 21 is arranged to sever the yarn immediately after thesplicing yarn has been inserted between the needles and has been knitinto the fabric.

The floating yarns severed from the fabric may be allowed to fall downwithin the knit fabric, but in such case they must be subsequentlyremoved. v It is preferred, therea fore, to provide means for collectingthe sevcred yarns, thereby saving the time. and labor which wouldotherwisebe required to remove them. The means for collecting thefloating yarns as they are'severed from the the edge 35 of the plate 13,and the plate 34 applies a light tension to the yarn so that it is heldproperly .in place while being free to feed forward slowly as thesevered yarns collect about it.

When the introduction of the splicing yarn is to be discontinued, theyarn guide 11 is raised into its inactive position by the cam on the camshaftof the machine, and the yarn leading from the yarn guide to thepoint where the yarn was withdrawn from the needles passes under theclamp 12 and is held by the clamp until the splicing yarn is to be againintroduced. The clamp 12 is held yieldingly against the plate 13 by aspring 36 connected with an arm 37. secured Losamo Y a to the pivotshaft 28. A mechanism forsevering the yarns when the yarn guides areactuated to change the yarns at different points in the knitting of thestocking is. indicated at 38, but forms no part of the presentinvention.

While it is preferred to employ the specific construction andarrangement of parts shown and described, especially in embodying t einvention in the Banner machine above referred to, it will be understoodthat this construction'and arrangement is not essential to the broaderfeatures of the invention, and may be varied and modified as founddesirable or best suited to the construction of the machine in which theinvention is to be embodied. It will also be understood that it isimmaterial, so far as' the broader features of the invention areconcerned, whether the relative travel between the yarn guides andneedles is secured by movement of the needle cylinder or of theyarn'guides and knitting cams.

Having explained the nature and object of the invention, andspecifically described one form of machine in which itmay be embodied,what I claim is I 1. A knitting machine, having, in combination, aneedle cylinder, needles mounted therein, means for inserting andwithdrawing asplicing yarn, and means for severing the floating yarnnear each side of the knit fabric.

2. A knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder,needles mounted therein, a yarn guide for a splicing yarn,

means for operating the guide to insert and withdraw a splicing yarn,and means with in the needles for severing the floating yarn near itspoints of attachment to the knit fabric. 3. A knitting machine,having,'in combination, a needle cylinder, needles mounted therein, ayarn ide for a splicing yarn, means for operating the guide to insertand withdraw the splicing yarn, and two cutters Within the needles for.severing the floating yarn near its pbints of attachment to the knitfabric.

4. A knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder,needles mounted therein, a yarn guide for a splicing yarn,

means for operating the guide to insert and withdraw the splicing yarn,acutter against which the floating yarn is carried by the relativetravel of the'yarn guide and needles,

"and a clamp arranged to 'hold the yarn between the guide and thecutter. I

5. A knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder,needles mounted therein, a yarn guide for a splicing yarn, means foroperat ng the guide to introduce and withdraw the splicing yarn, twocutters against which the floating yarn is carried by the relativetravel of the yarn guide and needles, and a clamp arranged between thecutters. 7

6. A knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder,needles mounted therein, means for introducing and withdrawing asplicing yarn, means for severing the floating yarn near each side ofthe knit fabric, and means for collecting the severed yarns.

7. A knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder,needles mounted therein, means for introducing and withdrawing asplicing yarn, means for severing the floating yarn near each side ofthe knit fabric, and a yarn depending within the so needles about whichthe severed yarns collect.

8. A knitting-machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder,needles mounted therein, means for introducing and withdrawing asplicing yarn, means for severing the floating yarn near each side ofthe knit fabric, and means for guiding a depending collector yarn withinthe needles.

9. A knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder,needles mounted therein, a yarn guide for a splicing yarn, means forraising and lowering the yarn guide at predetermined points during theknitting of each course, a plate within the needles, and cutter bladesmounted on the plate in position to sever the floating yarn near itspoints of attachment to the fabric.

10. A knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder,needles mounted therein,-a yarn guide for the splicing yarn, means forraising and lowering the yarn guide to withdraw and insert the splicingyarn during each rotation of the needle cylinder, a plate within theneedle cylinder, and cutters mounted on the plate against wh ch thefloating yarn is carried by the rotatlon of the needle cylinder.

11. A knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder,needles mounted therein,a yarn guide for the splicing yarn, means forraising and lowering the yarn guide to withdraw and insert the splicingyarn during each rotation of the nee 1e cyl-v inder, a plate within theneedle cyllnder, cutters'mounted on the plate against wh ch the floatingyarn is carriedby the rotation I of the needle cylinder, anda clamparranged between thecutters and operated by the

